#Israel / Former President Rivlin: Israel is one step away from international ostracism
The former president expressed concern that Israel is at risk of losing international credibility and facing isolation if it does not change its approaches related to military conflicts and hostage negotiations.
In an interview with IDF Radio, Rivlin added:
[…] "We are losing the tremendous moral values that all Israeli governments for generations have enjoyed, by the conduct and behavior of the IDF and by the behavior of the State of Israel in everything related to the wars we have waged for 76 years."
Rivlin seems slightly delusional believing Israel had some exceptional “moral values” to be admired during its 76 years of occupation and abuse of international laws. It’s just that Gaza is more visible, and the crimes are difficult to explain away.
#Gaza / Israeli airstrike on Gaza kills seven working for food aid NGO
Hearing about the Israeli airstrike on Gaza which killed seven working for food aid NGO #WCK, I was reminded immediately of Meron Rapoport’s post about how Israel is sabotaging aid efforts. See Israel's Policy of Calculated Disorder in Gaza https://kolektiva.social/@oatmeal/112133541637687094.
There’s nothing much to add. At this point it does seem Israel is doing its best to sow chaos by killing foreign aid workers; as well as locals it agreed could assist in securing the deliveries.
[…] "This is not only an attack against #WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war," said Erin Gore, chief executive of World Central Kitchen.
[cont’d] more information in harretz’s English edition from earlier in the day describing the deliberate killing of aid workers, according to “defense sources”. Reminder, IDF had the coordinates of the convoy and knew in advance its destination. This seems to suggest that a decision was made that a “terrorist” should be killed at the expense of everyone in the convoy.
[…] At some point, when the convoy was driving along the approved route, the war room of the unit responsible for security of the route ordered the drone operators to attack one of the cars with a missile.
[…] Some of the passengers were seen leaving the car after it was hit and switching to one of the other two cars. They continued to drive and even notified the people responsible that they were attacked, but, seconds later, another missile hit their car.
[…] The third car in the convoy approached, and the passengers began to transfer to it the wounded who had survived the second strike – in order to get them out of danger. But then a third missile struck them. All seven World Central Kitchen volunteers were killed in the strike.
#US / U.S. signs off on more bombs, warplanes for Israel
The #Biden administration has authorized the transfer of billions of dollars in bombs and fighter jets to Israel despite concerns about an anticipated military offensive in southern Gaza. The new arms packages include more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs. The continued arms transfers have been criticized by some Democrats who argue that the U.S. has a responsibility to withhold weapons in the absence of an Israeli commitment to limit civilian casualties and ease restrictions on humanitarian aid.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.):
[…] “The Biden administration needs to use their leverage effectively and, in my view, they should receive these basic commitments before greenlighting more bombs for Gaza […] We need to back up what we say with what we do.”
[cont'd] #Netanyahu (in a meeting with Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron on Thursday) emphasized the need for #Israel to be self-sufficient in producing its own defense capabilities. Regarding the defense budget, Netanyahu stated, "We understand that we need to adapt it to the needs that have emerged in this war, [...] We need to be more independent in the production capabilities of our defense forces." More specificaly, Netanyhu clarified that Israel needs to be "protected from
external pressures, as we need to make our own decisions."
#IDF / Israeli Officer Who Ordered Illegal Search of Palestinian Woman's Genitals Gets Promotion
The officer ordered two female soldiers to conduct the invasive search on suspicion that the woman was hiding a SIM card to communicate with Hamas members.
The case against the officer and others involved was initially closed in 2018 due to insufficient evidence, despite the search being illegal and lacking intelligence justification.
However, following media reporting, the officer was temporarily suspended pending a new Military Police investigation into the incident.
[…] The solution to the heart-wrenching dilemma was to implement the Hannibal Directive without firing a single shot: delay the negotiations, drag your feet, procrastinate, leave them in the tunnels for as long as possible, effectively sentencing them to death.
Israeli society has become more violent and indifferent to the plight of victims and displaced persons. Yossi Klein claims there’s a tendency to see kidnapees as "bargaining chips" and to prefer aggressive military action over negotiating their release. This should stop.
The "Hannibal mindset" of essentially allowing kidnapees to die rather than be released still persists today, as public opinion has shifted against prisoner swaps involving many militants. Klein is accusing #Netanyahu of being willing to "eliminate" protestors and internaly displaced persons "for their own good", and calls on security chiefs to defy such orders.
#USJews / Tony Kushner: Israel's Gaza War 'Looks a Lot Like Ethnic Cleansing to Me'
[...] Kushner, one of the first high-profile American Jewish artists to sharply and publicly criticize Israel's treatment of Palestinians speaks on the podcast about the Gaza War, antisemitism in the U.S., the current production of "Angels in America" in Tel Aviv, [and] why he believes #Trump and #Netanyahu "drink from the same pathological well" ...
[...] "If you had asked me, even on October 7, would Israel allow, 30,000 people, many of them civilians, to be killed by the IDF I would have said no. Or what the UN is warning of now and imminent famine, I would have said no. It's been obvious to me that the occupation has been a moral catastrophe for Israel, and that the treatment of Palestinian people has a blight on Israel's reputation since the founding of the state. But I had stupidly believed that there were limits."
[...] Kushner believes reports of explosive growth of antisemitism on the U.S. left are exaggerated and rejects reports of an epidemic of Jew hatred on US campuses, saying that being "passionately involved in calls for a cease-fire" does not equate with #antisemitism.
#Netanyahu's coalition members don't care about the kidnapped Israelis, there should be no doubt about that.
#Haaretz reports that MK Yuli Edelstein dismissed a family member of an Israeli citizen whose family member was murdered at the Nova massacre by saying "get the fuck out of my face."
A readers comment:
Edelstein's hands are soaked in the blood of 1,400 victims of the Netanyahu massacre. Together with the Netanyahu family, Levin and Simcha Rotman, he is one of the main culprits. Therefore, he deserves to be deported from the country, have his citizenship revoked, and have his property confiscated for the commemoration of the victims. If I had known in the late 1980s the extent of the damage this piece of shit would cause to the State of Israel and the Jewish people, I wouldn't have fought for his release as part of the "Let My People Go" campaign.
#UNRWA / Israeli Influence Operation Targets U.S. Lawmakers on Hamas-UNRWA
An Israeli influence operation that targeted U.S. lawmakers, particularly Democratic legislators, by amplifying claims about ties between the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and #Hamas. The operation used hundreds of fake accounts or "avatars" across social media platforms to promote content from three mysterious "news sites" that appeared to be created specifically for this campaign.
#Canada 🇨🇦 / Parliament to vote on motion backing Palestinian 🇵🇸 statehood
[…] Canadian legislators are due on Monday to vote on a non-binding motion backing Palestinian statehood that has drawn condemnation from #Israel and that could deepen splits inside the ruling Liberal Party.
[…] "Justin Trudeau could take bold steps for peace and justice, but he doesn't have the courage. That's why we brought a motion to force the Liberal government to finally help end this bloodshed," NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said in a statement, saying Palestinians and Israelis both deserve to live in peace.
[…] The motion calls on Canada to "officially recognize the State of Palestine" - a step that no member of the Group of Seven industrialised nations has taken - and suspend all trade in military goods and technology with Israel.
[…] The United States is Israel's most important weapons supplier, while Canada provides Israel with significantly less weaponry, totaling $22 million in 2022.
[…] Canada's statement highlights the shift in global public opinion towards Israel and underscores the growing criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza and the severe humanitarian crisis.
#IsraelOccupation / A Palestinian Boy Was Shot by Israeli Troops in Front of His Father, and Died in His Brother's Arms
The dehumanizing reality of life under Israeli occupation, where Palestinian families face constant threats of violence from both Israeli troops and settlers with little protection, is nothing new. Nor is Israel's impunity despite the illegality of the occupation. However, the level of violence and its barbaric cruelty are intensifying. If anyone wonders how bad this situation can get... look at Gaza.
Gideon Levi is telling the tragic killing of 10-year-old Amro Najar by Israeli troops in front of his father and younger brother Ahmed in the West Bank village of #Burin. Amro was shot in the head through the windshield of his father's pickup truck as they were driving home after running errands. Amro bled to death in the arms of his traumatized 7-year-old brother Ahmed.
#US / Schumer: 'Israel Cannot Survive if It Becomes a Pariah'
[…] Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest ranking Jewish elected official in U.S. history and a pro-Israel stalwart, slammed Netanyahu as having 'bowed to the demands of extremists' and warning the Israeli government that it is 'testing U.S. standards for assistance'
This unprecedented call comes amid growing pressure within the Democratic caucus to condition U.S. military assistance to Israel, with eight senators urging #Biden to halt arms sales if Israel fails to improve aid provision to Gaza.
Schumer's speech has been praised by some as historic and gutsy, while the Republican Jewish Coalition accused him of undermining Israel and meddling in its domestic politics.
#Palestine / More US Sanctions: Two West Bank Outposts and Three Settlers
The #US has imposed its second round of sanctions on Israeli settlers since President Joe #Biden's executive order, marking the first-ever sanctions on entire Israeli outposts in the West Bank. The sanctioned outposts are Moshe's Farms and Zvi's Farms, and the three settlers targeted are Zvi Bar Yosef, Neriya Ben Pazi, and Moshe Sharvit.
The decision is seen as a significant step by the Biden administration to address the issue of extremist settler violence against Palestinian and Israeli civilians in the occupied territories.
Again missing the point, #Haaretz. The point being that Jonathan Glazer, director of #TheZoneOfInterest, had to express such an #AsAJew opinion in order to be accepted by the media industry. Because non-good Jews are denounced. https://archive.li/hjV88